Passenger conveyors



Nov. 8, 1966 R. RISSLER 3,283,878

PASSENGER CONVEYORS Filed July 16, 1964 .3 Sheets-Sheet l &

Nov. 8, 1966 R. RISSLER PASSENGER CONVEYORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Lennius R. Rissler Filed July 16, 1964 WITNESSES ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1966 R. RISSLER 3,283,878

PASSE NNNNNNNNNNN RS Filed July 16, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,283,878 PASSENGER CONVEYORS Lenuius R. Rissler, Newark, N.J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 16, 1964, Ser. No. 383,035 5 Claims. (Cl. 198-16) This invention relates to passenger conveyors of the moving-belt type, and it has particular relation to such conveyors having moving handrails operating in synchronis-m with the conveyor belt.

Moving-belt passenger conveyors may take the form of moving stairways or moving sidewalks. It is common practice in such apparatus to provide at each side of the belt a continuous or endless flexible handrail in the form of an elongated loop having an upper run to be grasped by conveyor passengers. The handrail is supported on its upper run by guide means associated with a stationary balustrade. The loop also has a lower or return run, and its upper and lower runs are interconnected by curved end-portions.

In those installations wherein the balustrade is lighttransmissive or substantially transparent, it is desirable to position the return run of the handrail out of sight beneath the balustrade base.

In accordance with the invention, improved guide mechanism is provided for the handrails of passenger conveyors having substantially transparent balustrades. The return run of each handrail lies entirely below its associated balustrade base and is supported by a guide unit. Conveniently, the guide unit comprises a series of rollers which are journalled inside said base. The curved endportions of the handrail are trained around auxiliary rollers which are journalled in a hollow curved part of the balustrade structure. The handrail is adapted to present the same side thereof to these rollers and the balustrade guide means in a manner such that nearly all bending of the handrail throughout its path of travel is in the same direction.

In order to impart longitudinal movement to the moving handrail a flexible-auxiliary belt is sandwiched between the inner face of the handrail and the rollers which are supported in the end portion of the guide means and is led through a hollow post which supports the handrail guide means and over a pulley which is driven by the same motor and gearing complex which moves the moving-walk itself. The hollow post interconnects the guide means for the upper and lower runs of the handrail and assists in giving proper rigidity to the handrail support structure. FIGURE 1A shows a vertical section through this portion of the handrail support structure. Where the handrail is not too long one end arranged in the manner just described with an auxiliary-belt sufiices to impart movement to the entire handrail, but where the handrail is long it may be desirable to provide such an auxiliary-belt at two or more of the spaced landings.

It is therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved handrail structure for passenger conveyors.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved handrail structure for a passenger conveyor having a substantially transparent balustrade, wherein the handrail is bent substantially in one direction throughout nearly all of its path of travel.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved tensioning and drive unit for a handrail of a passenger conveyor having a substantially transparent balus trade.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a passenger conveyor having a substantially transparent balustrade with improved handrail guide, drive and ten- 3,283,878 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 'ice sioning mechanism and in which the same side of the handrail engages the guide mechanism throughout nearly all of the path of travel of the handrail.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1A is an elevational and diagrammatic view of the handrail and support structure embodying the features of this invention at one end of the moving-walk,

FIG. 1B is a view of the other end of the handrail and moving-walk arrangement which in this arrangement is not provided with a flexible-auxiliary belt.

FIG. 2 is a view partly in section showing the structure of the handrail, the flexible auxiliarybelt and one of the support pulleys of the latter.

FIG. 3 is a view in section of an alternative form of a roller and a flexible auxiliary-belt.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B of the drawing the dot and dash line 1 indicates schematically the moving-belt of the conveyor and a portion of its base or foundation structure, movement being imparted to the moving-belt by the sprocket wheel 2. A landing (not shown) may be provided to facilitate movement of passengers to and from the moving-belt at each end of its run in a manner wellknown in the moving-stairway art. The moving handrail 4, which is shown partly in section in FIG. 2, is supported for the greater part of its length on the guide-means 3 at the top of the balustrade structure 5 over which it slides smoothly. The guide-means 3 is supported from the balustrade structure by a series of parts, the one of which adjacent the sprocket wheel 2 being hollow. The spaces between the successive posts 7 may be filled by panels 8 of glass or other suitable transparent material, thus making the major area of the balustrade transparent.

Flexible handrail 4 thus has an upper run which has its outer surface positioned so that it can be grasped by passengers on the moving-walk. The handrail 4 also has a return run which is positioned out of sight of the passengers within the lower portion of the balustrade base.

The upper and lower runs of the handrail 4 are connected by a curved end-portion which gives it direction by a series of rollers '12 which are journalled on axles mounted in the curved end-portion of the balustrade framework. Similar rollers 13 are journalled in the base structure of the balustrade wherever needed to cause the moving handrail 4 to pass over a curved portion of its desired path. Desirably the rollers 12 may be concealed from view by opaque members 12A, 12B and 12C (FIG. 2) which, with the handrail form an enclosure for the rollers.

In order to impart longitudinal movement to the handrail a flexible auxiliary-belt 15 passes between the inner face of the handrail 4 and the surfaces of the rollers 12. The flexible auxiliary-belt 15 is endless and passes down from the roller 12 at the top of the hollow post 7 over an idler roller 17 and over a drive-pulley 19 positioned and journalled in the foundation member of the balustrade 5. The auxiliary-belt 15 passes through the balustrade base to the space between the pulleys 12 and the curved endportion of the balustrade. The auxiliary-belt 15 may be formed of rubber or some such elastomer so that it will make frictional engagement with the inner face of the handrail 4 where the latter passes over the rollers 12. The idler 17 is provided with a spring-biased support 20 which enables it to maintain a longitudinal tension in the auxiliary-belt 15.

The rollers 13 to the right of the drive pulley in FIG. 1A engage the outer surface of the handrail to guide the handrail in an arcuate path. The curvature is such that tension in the auxiliary-belt 15 urges the handrail towards these rollers to assure good driving engagement between the handrail and the auxiliary-belt.

The drive-pulley 19 may be rotated by any suitable means such as a chain which meshes with a sprocket wheel 19A on the shaft of the drive pulley 19 and with an ancillary sprocket wheel 22 driven by the Wheel 2 over which the moving-belt 1 is trained for movement. The latter may be driven by any means such as a suitable motor 23 in the foundation of the moving-walk structure. By proper design which will be obvious to those skilled in the art the drive-pulley 19 may be rotated at such a speed relative to the pulley 2 that the handrail 4 moves synchronously with the moving-belt 1.

FIG. 2 shows how the auxiliary-belt 15 may be provided with teeth on its under surface which can mesh with similar teeth on the rollers 12, and similar teeth preferably are provided on the drive pulley 19 to maintain proper speed alignment of the belt 15 with the handrail 4. A belt of this type is known as a timing belt.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative arrangement for maintaining proper alignment of the auxiliary-belt 15 as it passes over the rollers 12 and for maintaining a driving engagement with the pulley 19. Grooves on the inside surface of the auxiliary-belt 15 receive ridges on the surface of the rollers 112, or similar ridges on the pulley 19. In this embodiment the belt 15 is in effect a multiple V-belt.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments thereof numerous modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention are possible.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a conveyor having a moving-belt for transporting loads, a stationary structure comprising a stationary balustrade having handrail guide means, a flexible handrail in the form of a loop having an upper run supported by the guide-means forming part of the stationary balustrade, and also a return run which is out of sight below said balustrade, a curved end-portion of said balustrade connecting said guide-means for said upper run to that for said return run, end guide means at said curved endportion for supporting said flexible handrail, a hollow post extruding from a point adjacent said upper run towards said return run, a flexible endless auxiliary-belt passing through said post and between the inner face of said handrail and said guide means and making frictional engagement with said handrail to drive it.

2. The arrangement described in claim 1 wherein said journalled on said structure below the level of the hollow post and driven by a motive-means therefor, and wherein said end guide means comprises a plurality of rollers journalled within said curve-d end portion.

3. In a conveyor for transporting passengers, a flexible endless handrail in the form of a loop having an upper run with an exterior surface to be grasped by passengers during transport and lower return run, a supporting structure including a balustrade for guiding the handrail in a closed path coextensive with the handrail, said balnstrade having a section located between said runs and having a curved end guide portion for guiding the handrail between said runs, a drive Wheel located below the balustrade section, and a flexible endless auxiliary belt having a auxiliary-belt embraces in part of its path a drive-pulley part located between said end guide portion and said handrail for engaging the inner surface of the handrail to drive the handrail, said auxiliary belt extending into coupling engagement with said drive wheel for coupling the drive wheel to the handrail, whereby rotation of the drive wheel acts through the auxiliary belt to move the handrail.

4. A conveyor as claimed in claim 3 wherein the end guide portion comprises a plurality of idler rollers spaced along the handrail, each of the idler rollers being rotatable relative to the supporting structure about the roller axis to guide the handrail, said auxiliary belt extending between the inner surface of the handrail and each of said rollers.

5. A conveyor as claimed in claim 4 in combination with motive means coupled to said drive wheel for rotating the drive wheel, said drive wheel being spaced from the handrail by the thickness of said auxiliary belt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,956,662 10/1960 Hansen 19816 2,978,095 4/1961 Jenike 198l65 3,049,213 8/1962 Fabula 198-16 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,034,841 8/ 1912 Seeberger.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Examiner. 

1. IN A CONVEYOR HAVING A MOVING-BELT FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS, A STATIONARY STRUCTURE COMPRISING A STATIOANRY BALUSTRADE HAVING HANDRAIL GUIDE MEANS, A FLEXIBLE HANDRAIL IN THE FORM OF A LOOP HAVING AN UPPER RUN SUPPORTED BY THE GUIDE-MEANS FORMING PART OF THE STATIONARY BALUSTRADE, AND ALSO A RETURN RUN WHICH IS OUT OF SIGHT BELOW SAID BALUSTRADE, A CURVED END-PORTION OF SAID BALUSTRADE CONNECTING SAID GUIDE-MEANS FOR SAID UPPER RUN TO THAT FOR SAID RETURN RUN, END GUIDE MEANS AT SAID CURVED ENDPORTION FOR SUPPORTING SAID FLEXIBLE HANDRAIL, A HOLLOW POST EXTRUDING FROM A POINT ADJACENT SAID UPPER RUN TOWARD SAID RETURN RUN, A FLEXIBLE ENDLESS AUXILIARY-BELT PASSING THROUGH SAID POST AND BETWEEN THE INNER FACE OF SAID HANDRAIL AND SAID GUIDE MEANS AND MAKING FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HANDRAIL TO DRIVE IT. 